


mister goth

by stupidgaytree



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: F/M, Gen, i love u jem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-28 20:34:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14457222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stupidgaytree/pseuds/stupidgaytree
Summary: Kravitz delivers a very important Candlenights message.





	mister goth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [astralcities](https://archiveofourown.org/users/astralcities/gifts).



The trip between planes was… unsettling, the first time. The Astral and Celestial planes are fundamentally similar, but the differences pricked at Kravitz’s soul for a while.

He’s used to it now. The portals he makes are neat and generally painless, something he takes an odd pride in. He allows himself a small smile as he steps out into the flat blankness that is the Celestial Plane before it seems to crumble into darkness and he is suddenly before a throne. His smile fades as he cranes his head to meet the Raven Queen’s eyes.

“Kravitz,” she says evenly. Once upon a time she was not so solid — the first time he met her, properly, she was a mess of shadows in a vaguely humanoid form. She’s settled a bit since then, with dark hair that tumbles down her shoulders and yellow, bird-like eyes. He gives her a nod and waves his hand, and a scroll manifests from the fog that drifts lazily through the Raven Queen’s domain.  
  
“Your worship,” he begins, slowly, “The Miller situation is resolved.”

She cocks her head. He notices suddenly that she’s wearing a scarf, but decides that is a question for another time. “Dr. Miller is returned to the Stockade?”

“She is.”

“And the boy?”

Kravitz grimaces. Lucas Miller may not be an entirely capable scientist or a likable man in the least, but he is no boy. Then again, everyone seems young to the goddess of death. “I let him off with a warning. He only wanted his mother back, and it ended badly. I doubt he’ll try it again.”

“And if he does?”

“Then he will be apprehended.”

The Raven Queen considers that for a moment. “And what of those other spirits?”

“Three of them — Maarvey, Brian, and Jenkins — were banished by the cleric, Highchurch. Redcheek — we… negotiated. I agreed to let her stay and finish business since she died suddenly and she already has another body.”

She blinks down at him. “You didn’t consult me on that.”

“No, I didn’t.” He clenches his jaw. “But I’d like to keep my word. And the first trouble she makes, I’ll be bringing her back.”

“...Very well,” the Raven Queen says eventually. Kravitz tries not to let his relief show. “And those three you found. Highchurch was one of them, and the others…?”

“Merle Highchurch, Taako Taaco, and Magnus Burnsides,” he recites, “Yes. They… technically have never checked into the Astral Plane, so they didn’t do any escaping. Next time they die, though—”

He stops as the Raven Queen lets out a long sigh. She peers down at him for a moment. The ghost of a smile appears on her face.

“You just can’t help but gamble, can you?” she says.

Kravitz feels his shoulders slump of their own accord and half wonders why he’s still bothering with the body here. “Unfortunately. But, to be fair—”

“They suggested it, I’m sure.” Her voice carries an unusual amusement. “Don’t worry yourself over it, Kravitz. One way or another, the job is done.”

He nods. “Lovely scarf.”

She narrows her eyes, then does something Kravitz can only describe as preening. “It was a gift.”

“Istus?”

“Perhaps,” she hums. Kravitz snorts, recognizing the shift from business to casual talk. He almost asks what it's made of, but he knows the Queen would only laugh and ask if he knows what she's made of in return.

“What’s the occasion this time?” he asks. The Queen laughs.

“Candlenights, my dear Kravitz. Surely you remember?”

He blinks. It was Candlenights, wasn't it? He was horrible with time, ever since he’d... gotten here. He wasn't sure if time passed strangely in the Celestial Plane or if he was just unaccustomed to the patterns of the mortal world.

“I… do now. Is that the only gift you've gotten?”

“Istus was the only one I visited. You know how the rest of them get—” here she waves her hands dismissively— “Anyways, the work you did tonight is gift enough, as always.”

Kravitz smiles. “That's very kind of you.”

“Mm. Was there anything else?”

He thinks for a moment. What else — ah, yes. “One of the three — Magnus. Burnsides, that is.”

She tips her head in acknowledgement, and he continues. “He did ask a small favor. Nothing that defied any rules, so I thought it was alright — a message to his wife, Julia.”

The Queen looks surprised. “What does he want to tell her?”

“Nothing dangerous,” Kravitz says quickly, “But it is, ah, somewhat personal.”

Her eyes soften almost imperceptibly and she nods. Kravitz nods back, turns, and calls out a “Happy Candlenights, your worship!” over his shoulder as he tears a portal to the Astral Plane and steps through.

He stands above the sea of souls, residual life thrumming in the air like a drumbeat, and he tilts his head and peers into the darkness. He casts out his senses, searching for one soul in particular, and almost flinches away as he happens upon one still sparking with energy. After closer inspection, he recognizes the mind it harbors, and gives it a mental poke.

Instead of recoiling, it pokes back, and he can't help a small laugh. Of course this is the woman a man like Magnus would fall for.

He reaches out and grabs hold, and the space around them shifts. He sees the Raven Queen’s silhouette melt through the blur, inky black wings stretching out behind her as she bends to whisper in the ear of the woman now in front of Kravitz. He sees the shadow of her grin before she disappears, and then they are somewhere else.

It brings to mind a kitchen one would find in an average house, with a window overlooking a small but beautifully made table that the two of them are now seated at. There's red and yellow flowers on a nearby counter, which also boasts incredible craftsmanship. Kravitz finds himself looking around at the room to avoid the woman’s eyes, but he's forced to look at her when she says, “Who’re you?”

Julia Burnsides sits before him, looking as he can only imagine she did the day she died. Her dark, curly hair is pushed back by a patterned bandana, and her hands are peppered with small scars that stand out bright against her brown skin. And she is staring at him with curiosity and just a mite of defiance.

“Hello,” Kravitz says, slipping back into his fake accent, “How are you? Death treatin’ you alright?”

“Could be better,” she replies evenly, “Wanna drop the voice for the benefit of both of us?”

“Well,” he says, then sighs and drops it. “Yeah, that's fair. Listen, you're Julia, right? Burnsides?”

“That's my name.”

Kravitz pauses, disconcerted for a moment, but plows forward. “Yeah. Your husband’s, uh, he's a real….” He struggles to find a fitting descriptor, and Julia's eyes widen.

“Magnus? You saw — oh, gods, he’s not—”

“No! No, that would be… you’d just know, he'd be there with… anyways. No. I did see him, and he had a message for you.” He leans forward. She raises her eyebrows at him.

“This is… odd,” he admits, “For me to be the one to — anyways. He says he loves you. And he is doing just fine.”

Julia blinks at him, then breaks into a smile. “Oh, what trouble is he getting into to meet an assistant to the Raven Queen? Gods, but that sounds like him.”

“Well, assistant is—”

Julia smirks. “I don't know your name, Mister Goth. You're going to have to tolerate a few nicknames.”  
  
“Kravitz,” he groans, letting his head fall to the table with a _thunk_. Like most things in undeath, it doesn't hurt a bit.

“Ah, so Mister Goth was your father.”

“I can see how the two of you got along,” Kravitz grumbles. He looks up when she goes silent and sees her staring at nothing in particular.

“Oh,” he says after a second, “Ah, shit. I’m sure you miss him, he really is doing alright, going around with this whole group of people — there's a dwarf cleric with a plant arm, that's my bad, and this elf wizard named Taako who was _ridiculously_ flirty, I think, and these other three women who were just leagues more competent than them, but they saved the world, and….” He trails off as her gaze fixes back on him.

There's a silence until Kravitz says, “Magnus is a good man. You should be very proud of him.”

“I am,” she says softly, and then a little louder and choked, “Do you think you could give a message back to him?”

It feels a little like a punch to the gut. Kravitz says, “No. I’m sorry. But I'm sure he knows.”

Julia nods, and Kravitz stands up. “Well, uh. Unfortunately I have things to attend to, so, this is goodbye.”

“Wait.”

Julia stands up. Kravitz realizes he can still look her in the eye and tries to convince himself he's not intimidated by the fact that she's at least as tall as him.

“My dad,” she says after a second, “Steven. Could you….”

Kravitz hesitates, but a strange weight settles on his shoulder, not unlike a hand. He gets a distinct feeling of reassurance and nods to Julia. “It’ll be short, but it can be arranged.”

“Thank you,” she says, and then adds with a grin, “Swing by any time. I'd appreciate the company.”

“Wouldn't we all,” he replies, and the room melts away as he leaves to give father and daughter some time alone.

**Author's Note:**

> this is a quick thing for my good good friend jem who is listening to taz for the first time! she loves kravitz and ive been wanting to write something along these lines for a while so here we are. i love u jemmmm


End file.
